Stone Waterloo Bridge Over Bridgewater Canal - Runcorn, UK - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

The Bridgewater Canal
"The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester. It was opened in 1761 from Worsley to Manchester, and later extended from Manchester to Runcorn, and then from Worsley to Leigh.

Often considered to be the first "true" canal in England, as it relied upon existing watercourses as sources of water rather than as navigable routes. Navigable throughout its history, it is one of the few canals in Britain not to have been nationalised, and remains privately owned. Pleasure craft now use the canal which forms part of the Cheshire Ring network of canals." link

The Bridge
This bridge is a Historic England Grade II listed building with following text. "Road bridge over the Bridgewater Canal 1828 with sidewalk and parapet added in 1886. Red sandstone with cast iron balustraded parapet. 3 arches with rustications and added piers with corbels supporting the footway. The balustrading is in 5 sections between bridge abutments and decorative moulded cast iron posts. The centre span has "Waterloo Bridge" in interlaced rings at carriageway level. The posts have projecting caps surmounted by a swan neck motif and the balustrades loops linked by flowers." link

From it's start at Worlsy, the Bridgewater Canal has used no locks, but taken a flat route contouring round any obstacles. However originally there used to be a flight of locks beyond the bridge that took the canal down to the level of the River Mersey giving access to the docks at Liverpool. A nearby information board gives us more information.

You are standing at what is now the end of the Bridgewater
Canal but it didn't always terminate here.

To your left is Waterloo Bridge and the photo shows
what would have been visible beyond it, before the
construction in 1960-61, of the Silver Jubilee
Bridge over the Mersey and its various approach
roads, one of which severs the canal at this point.

Originally, Waterloo Bridge marked the head
of a flight of locks, which from 1773 carried the
Bridgewater Canal to the River Mersey, then later,
to the Manchester Ship Canal, following its completion
in 1893-94.

The right hand arch of the bridge once straddled the line
of the new flight of locks constructed in 1828, the centre
arch covered a dry dock and the left-hand arch crossed the
line of the old flight of five pairs of two rise locks.

A new bridge is currently under construction to replace the Silver Jubilee Bridge. The Runcorn Locks Restoration Society are hoping that it will then be possible to remove the Silver Jubilee Bridge and restore the original flight of locks.

What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Motor vehicles, bikes and pedestrians What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: The Bridgewater Canal Date constructed: 1761 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes Name of road or trail the bridge services: Station Road Location: Runcorn, Cheshire Length of bridge: Not listed Height of bridge: Not listed

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